Review by Paul Ryding
There are two kinds of people in the world: those who have read Alasdair Gray’s epic novel Lanark and those who have not. Only those in the former group would fully appreciate the pure gold that nestles in the centre of A Gray Play Book: storyboards of the abandoned film version illustrated by Gray himself. To be taken through the story, scene-by-scene and recreated as Gray envisioned is quite a unique privilege. It is also quite depressing to know that this fully realised film project would never (and quite frankly could never) see the light of day. That said, this 15page archive is a fine substitute.
To the uninitiated this is also a fantastic starting point. Gray’s work can be at times utterly impenetrable, such as his last novel Old Men In Love (which incidently has in it’s centre, a beautiful landscape illustration of Glasgow’s West-End). A Gray Play Book’s easily accessible collection of unpublished short stories and BBC radio plays is a pleasant introduction.
